When Atlanta (13-4-5, 44 points) travels to Montreal (9-12-1, 28 points) on Saturday - game time is 7 p.m. EST at Stade Saputo - forgive them if they seem to have a little bounce in their step.

Like most teams, Atlanta has been strong at home, going 7-2-3, but what’s set the team apart from most of the league has been a 6-2-2 road mark. Atlanta enters the game atop the table in the Eastern Conference and is in the lead in the Supporters Shield race as well.

As has been the case throughout the season, it’s been the Atlanta attack leading the way. With 46 goals on the season, Atlanta is two better than the Los Angeles Football Club for the league lead.

Setting the tone is lethal Venezuelan striker Josef Martinez. Martinez leads the league with 22 goals, eight ahead of the next closest player. In his last game against DC United Martinez tallied his MLS record sixth career hat trick. He has also scored in his last eight road games.

Montreal has been up and down throughout the season. The Impact are fifth in the East, currently in a playoff spot, but it’s a tenuous spot at best. They are tied with New England in points for the last playoff spot and are just one point ahead of seventh-place Philadelphia.

The Impact have been bad on the road, going 2-9-1, but they have been tough at home, posting a 7-3-0 mark.

Pacing Montreal at this point is Ignacio Piatti, an Argentine international. Piatti has 10 goals and nine assist this season, scoring at least 10 goals for the third straight season.